The Liftex 2015 exhibition went like clockwork with the brand new open plan stand working well and looking great. Complemented by the stand-alone eepos Aluminium crane system demo unit and the range of Flex radio remote controls live display, including the ever more popular joystick model 2JX, the Reel stand attracted many visitors from UK and as far as Saudi Arabia.

The eepos system proved a great hit with all stand visitors and each one commented on the smooth and quiet running of the rail and girder system. Of course the new carbon fibre jib attracted lots of attention too with it’s lightness in use and yet relative high residual capacity. Most people commented they could all see a need for one in their garage at home!

When a pendant just won’t do...

If you are one of the many companies that still rely on pendant control systems for your overhead cranes and hoists, why should you consider changing to a radio controlled solution?

For users of overhead lifting equipment, the need to be “tied” to a crane via a pendant can be inconvenient and inflexible, often creating additional health and safety risks in industrial working environments. So, what’s the alternative?

Radio control systems such as our Flex EX system, offer a cost effective and safe solution to the restrictions of hard-wired pendant controls.

For businesses that operate in harsh materials handling environments, once installed, a radio control solution not only frees up the crane operator from being directly attached to lifting equipment, it also acts as a remote safety device.

Supplied and installed by our team of qualified engineers, our Flex Radio Control Systems offer a range of features and benefits including:

Spare transmitter included with all systems

62 user-programmable channels

Advanced microprocessor controls

Unique I-CHIP design

Durable and rugged enclosures

What about costs?

Often, a pendant system used in a harsh working environment will need to be replaced every few months. With a typical cost of £400 to replace a pendant, the cost benefits of switching to a radio controlled solution speak for themselves.

Two transmitters as standard

Our Flex Radio Control Systems come with two transmitters as standard so if one gets lost or damaged, your crane can continue to be used without interruption. We offer a 48 hour repair service, or replacement transmitters can be ordered online and dispatched within 24 hours.

What our customers say about Flex Radio Control:

“We’ve used Reel UK’ lifting solutions for over 4 years now. Their off-the-shelf Flex Radio Remote system offers reliability and good value for money, both of which are vital to our business.

Reel UK staff are extremely knowledgeable and on-hand whenever we need support. Their aftercare and spares services I rate 10 out of 10.”

Tony Arnold, Site Services Manager,Sunseeker International

Request a demo

With a proven track record of satisfied customers, we are confident that once you have experienced the flexibility that our Flex system can deliver to your overhead lifting processes, you won’t go back to pendant controls. We are so confident in its reliability and cost effectiveness, we are offing a free 30 day trial.

To find out more about the available alternatives to pendant control and to book a demo of our Flex Radio Control system, contact us at sales@craneservices.co.uk

FLEX Joystick JX now available...

With the success of our Flex Radio Control solutions, we are delighted to add a joystick system to the Flex range of radio control products. We now have a working prototype that is currently being trialled by a number of our customers, and is available to order online and via our dedicated Flex Administrator, Lorna Shakespeare.

The joystick system offers a number of features including:

All Flex EX features.

Infrared START and infrared range limiting features.

Transmitter tilt-mainline disconnect feature.

Transceiving RF with receiver status feedback. We are also working on weight scale (load cell) feedback as well.

Tandem pair monitoring.

Goretex vent.

All functions can be set via the LCD panel on the transmitter and in the receiver.

Over the years, we have built up a number of strategic partnerships with other crane manufacturers and suppliers which have enabled us to deliver on jobs that otherwise would have been out of our comfort zone.

There is much to be said about partnering with fellow competitors as often the result is far greater than what can be achieved individually.

We have delivered a number of successful projects in collaboration with other suppliers, enabling us to offer a greater range of services and solutions.

We pride ourselves on discretion, often working under another suppliers branding and relationships. As a business, we are committed to continue to grow our collaborations as we move into 2015.

A year of investment...

Like many business that have refrained from investing in plant, machinery and resource, we have begun to see certain sectors like automotive and aerospace beginning to open up investment channels.

As part of the supply chain to the expanding sectors, we hope to capitalise on this growth as budgets become free and spending begins to happen.

Confidence is the name of the game and we intend to use this to our advantage as we see the year ahead unfold.

Crane modification – Replace or modify...

Deciding whether to purchase a brand new crane or whether you can make do with existing machinery can be a tough business decision, especially when margins are tight and the economic climate is somewhat bleak. So what are the alternatives?

Here at Reel UK we always consider the modification or conversion option first. If the current structure is essentially sound, then we can offer a considerably more cost effective solution compared with complete replacement.

For a relatively modest investment you may well be able to upgrade your existing crane system to one that operates at modern efficiency levels – recovering the initial costs in a relatively short period of time through improved efficiency and lower operating costs.

Today's sophisticated electronic control equipment is a world away from conventional systems yet can be applied to your existing crane at a relatively low cost. Our engineers can make a full appraisal and provide a competitive quotation for converting your crane.

So, if you have been asking yourself the question of whether to replace existing lifting equipment or to make do, it may well be worth giving us a call.

As a leading provider of marine jet engines for the private and military sector, Ultra Dynamics came to us with a real challenge. Over time their 5 meter radius, 2 tonne swing jib had turned a simple lifting process into a difficult and inaccurate operation requiring a 2 man team.

Ultra Dynamics sought a solution to power the slew function of the jib crane and modify the control system whilst ensuring the existing production environment was not effected and no down time was experienced. Not an easy task.

Our solution

The jib had an existing roller frame constructed of two bearing rollers which ran on a flat belt of steel around the radius of the jib post. We chose to design a new twin wheel roller frame with deeper wheels to increase the surface area contact, both driven by live axle drive motor gearboxes to ensure an even pull when slewing.

On completion of the fabrication the jib arm was removed on site and transported back to our factory to allow the new powered roller frame to be installed. The pendant was changed and the electrical control system was reconfigured to fit a frequency inverter drive to the powered roller frame motors to allow fine speed control and gentle acceleration and deceleration of the slewing motion.

In addition, the top bearing was replaced and a lubrication point was machined to allow the bearing to be lubricated without the need for removing the jib arm.

The Result

We provided and installed a cost effective method of improving the safety and control of their lifting application along with a reduction in requirement for manual handling and the associated risks. Ultra Dynamics are loading extremely valuable engines into test rigs and jigs therefore fine control and positioning to ensure the safety of their components is of the utmost importance.